In any event the young shipmaster must have
felt the oppression of the day and the lingering season. His spirits
fell lower, and he came to the Ball place with such a feeling of
depression that he hesitated about turning in at the gate at all.
As Cap'n Ira did not at once come out of the barn, the younger man
made his way there instead of going first to the kitchen door. He
shrank from meeting the real Ida May again. At any rate, he wanted
first to get the lay of the land from the old man.
He looked into the dim interior of the place and for a moment did
not see Cap'n Ira at all. The ghostly face of the Queen of Sheba
appeared at the opening over her manger. Tunis was about to call
when he saw the old man straining upon the lower rungs of the ladder
to reach the loft to pitch down a bunch of fodder. Queenie whinnied
softly.
"Hello, Cap'n Ira!" Tunis hailed. "What are you doing that for?" He
hastened to cross the barn floor to his aid. "Where's Ida May that
she lets you do this?"
"Ida May?" The old man repeated the name with such disgust that
Tunis was all but stunned and stopped to eye Cap'n Ira amazedly.
"D'ye think she'd take a step to save me a dozen? Or lift them
lily-white hands of hers to keep Prudence from doing all the work
she has to do? I swan!"
"What do you mean?" demanded Tunis.
Pages:
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316